a coat post

Whoa, what is this? Some kind of fashion-related post in the middle of a travel blog? You betcha! I had no classes today, so that only meant one thing: shopping spree! I went to the Manchester Arndale again, and spent a few hours browsing through a bunch of stores. But ultimately, I bought clothes from, you guessed it: Primark. The very first time I went into Primark, I almost purchased a really nice black, floral top. But for some reason, I left the store without it. Today, however, I found it on sale for only 5 pounds (half price)! There were only a couple of sizes left, and thankfully I fit into one of them. It was meant to be. I also stopped by Boots, a pharmacy chain in the UK, and made some purchases on UK beauty products to try out. Damage was definitely done.

But I'm on the lookout for a really good coat (or two) to keep me warm this autumn/early winter. I'm so happy that I can finally wear coats! California weather rarely allows me to break one out of my closet. Sadly, I had no luck in finding a coat I liked in stores today, so I continued my search online. Here are some of my favorites that I've found so far:

1. Louche Baine Coat from Joy
2. Stone Brushed Funnel Coat from New Look
3. Lena Jacket from Monki
4. Slim Pocket Coat from Topshop

I really love the coat from Monki, and the one from New Look is a close second. Which one do you think I should get?

first weekend in manchester

Yes, I was complaining a bit in my last post, but I shouldn't be. I'm living in a wonderful country studying at a fantastic university, and I've been meeting such kind people with accents I've always wished to have. I should be thrilled to be here―which I totally am! It's just a little hard sometimes. It's been slightly uncomfortable being in an unfamiliar city, but I know it'll get better.

This weekend was basically running a lot of errands and trying to get settled in. There was also a lot of sleeping in. And remember that first night where I didn't have any bedding? Well, I was FREEZING. I don't think I've ever experienced such a cold night. I woke up at both 1:00 AM and 4:00 AM, and putting on layers didn't help at all. I didn't know how to properly turn on my heater either, and I don't know my Celsius from Fahrenheit. But thank goodness for our trip to Primark the next day. Everything there is really cheap and super cute! I'll do a "room tour" post once everything looks... nicer.

Here are a few snapshots from the other days as well:

Excuse the construction.

On Saturday I went on a shopping trip to ASDA, which is the UK equivalent of Walmart. It was packed and I could barely get around. I guess people really love those "rollback" prices. And today I picked up my ID card and joined the International Society on campus, which hosts cultural events and plans various trips around England each weekend. I'm so excited to travel to all of the different places and to meet students from other countries. Also, I had my first Sunday roast dinner--at a bar, nonetheless.

Everything is better smothered in gravy.

And now my flatmates are out for some Welcome Week events. I'm sorry, I don't want to pay 50 pounds for a wristband to get into clubs/parties. It just ain't my kind of thing. Now I'm just all alone in my room eating a Cornetto. I've always wanted to try one because of the Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy. It's tastes very similar to a Drumstick, but slightly better. I'm glad I bought a box because I'll probably eat another one. Ain't no party like a Cornetto Party.

Cornetto selfies :)